Shooting for state (3/10/04)

PORTLAND — Winning a second straight sectional title was a good way to cap an outstanding year for the Jay County gymnastics team. But, the year is not over.

The Patriots will compete at the Huntington North regional Friday at 6 p.m. with hopes of sending at least one — and maybe more competitors — on to the state meet.

“I would like to go to state on either floor or beam,” said Hannah Williams. “I’d have to stick my beam routine and do my best floor routine.”

Williams, the Muncie Central sectional all-around, floor exercise and balance beam champion, will have a chance to finish in the top six and earn a state berth in all of those areas. She is clearly the favorite to move on among Jay County gymnasts, but others could repeat what she did last year.

At the 2003 Muncie Central regional Williams surprised herself with a sixth-place finish on the beam with a score of 8.3. She went on to place 11th in the state on the event with a 9.0 after barely making it out of the regional meet.

This year Amanda Knight (vault - 8.65), Kayla Smith (beam - 8.95) and Kristin Brown (floor - 8.75) — who all finished third in the sectional in those events — could also earn state berths if everything falls into place.

After winning the Muncie Central sectional Saturday with a season-high score of 102.5, Patriot coach Kristin Rees said her biggest goal for the regional was to have another good, solid meet. She also said she hoped for Williams to make another state trip, and for her seniors — Knight and Smith — to feel good about what could be their final meet.

One way for that to happen will be to stand strong against the three teams coming out of the Homestead sectional — the Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger Saints, the Fort Wayne Carroll Chargers and the Fort Wayne Northrop Bruins. Dwenger, the defending state champion, and Carroll are heavy favorites to advance to the state meet, having scored 109.925 and 108.575 respectively in sectional competition.

The Bruins had a 105.65, and Jay County hopes to be able to hang around with them at the regional.

“We don’t expect to beat our team-best score, but we don’t want it to drop either,” said Knight. “We’d like to challenge Northrop.”

“We want to beat the two teams we already beat,” added junior Makenzie Knight in reference to Huntington North and especially Delta, which they fought off to win the sectional title. “We just have to do our best again.”

Jay County scored five points higher at this year’s sectional than they had last year. They will try to repeat the same feat in regional competition.

The Patriots scored a 95.85 in regional competition in 2003, so they will be shooting to break 100 this year. It would be their fifth 100-plus score of the year.

Rees said although the competition will be stiff her team does have the advantage of having been in this situation before.

Along with last year’s regional the Patriots competed against the No. 1 Saints and No. 3 Lawrence Central at this year’s Marion Invitational, and No. 5 Center Grove at the Richmond Invitational. They battled Carroll in a dual meet this year.

“I think that helps a lot to have seen that type of competition already,” said Rees. “You’re not so star struck about what is going on around you.

“I’m really excited to see how we compete with Northrop. I think on most events we can hang right with them.”

Dwenger and Carroll will likely be well ahead of the rest of the field, and both teams have big goals.

The Saints are looking for a second straight undefeated season on the way to a second straight state title. The Chargers want to knock off Dwenger and make a trip to the state meet after falling short with a third-place regional finish last year.

Dwenger had three sectional championships at Homestead, with senior Courtney Peters taking first on the balance beam (9.6) and all-around (37.375). Sophomore Juanita Nix, the daughter of coach Rose Nix, won the vault with a 9.65.

The Saints were especially strong on the vault, taking four of the top six spots. Peters was third (9.4), junior Megan Koehl was fifth (9.35) and senior Niccole Van Hoey was fifth (9.25).

Peters was second on the floor (9.525), and Nix was fifth (9.425). Van Hoey was second on the bars (9.35) and third in the all-around competition with a 36.35 total.

Sophomore Rebecca Trahin did not place in the top six, but the sophomore was the regional floor champion last year and was also a state qualifier on the vault.

Rose Nix said vault and floor have always been strong for her team, but she thinks the Saints are more well-rounded this year with improved beam and bars scores.

“The girls have been working really hard trying to perfect their routines,” she said. Hopefully they can continue they upward climb as far as peaking.”

“(Repeating as state champions) was in the back of our mind. But, we tried to teach the girls to take one meet at a time.”

Carroll finished behind Northrop last year at the regional, but the addition of a couple of freshman has lifted them into state contention. The best score for the Chargers last year was a 104.625, but this year they have topped out at 109.7.

Freshmen Jessica Gebhard and Olivia Wagoner have keyed the surge, along with returning junior Cassie Pyle.

Gebhard had the top sectional finish for Carroll, placing third on the beam (9.35). She was also sixth on the vault (9.2).

Wagoner placed fifth on the bars (8.95), Pyle was sixth on the beam (9.1), and Kelsey Riecken finished in a three-way tie for sixth on the floor (9.4).

“Really our team is pretty goal oriented,” said Carroll coach Karen Lake. “We’ve set little short-term goals throughout the season. Our main long-term goal at the beginning was to make it out of regional as a team.

“We really want a banner in our gym.”[[In-content Ad]]